Behind the scenes

A letter on White House letterhead with a blue crest at the top, dated October 14, 2025, addressed to Joanna, thanking her for a letter and a book titled 'Hitting AS For Six', signed with a handwritten message and signature.

It’s not every day you receive a message from Her Majesty The Queen saying she’s looking forward to reading your book! What an incredible honour — and truly humbling.

Our dear friend, Jo Sharney, so kindly took the time and effort to research and write to Her Majesty about Hitting AS for Six. For those who may not know, The Queen is a passionate advocate for reading and runs her own book club and literary charity, The Queen’s Reading Room.

Importantly, The Queen is also a vocal supporter of arthritis awareness. Both her mother and grandmother passed away from complications related to osteoporosis — a bone-weakening condition that can lead to fractures. Her personal experience has inspired her to become a patron of charities such as Versus Arthritis and the Royal Osteoporosis Society, using her public platform to promote awareness, early diagnosis, and better treatment.

I truly hope her Majesty enjoys reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it

A silver trophy with a cricket ball, bat, and stumps, and a plaque that reads 'Warwickshire Seniors Over 50s Player of the Year 2025'.

There’s so much that goes into managing my condition and still being able to play the sport I love — cold showers, injections, tablets, massage, pain, stiffness, fatigue, swimming, rehab, and so much more. It’s a constant journey of determination, resilience, tears, laughter, and hope.

Receiving an award like this is not only an honour but also makes it all feel totally worthwhile.

I recently worked out that I’ve played for Warwickshire, at one time or another, across four different decades. As they say — once a Bear, always a Bear!

Thank you to my family, friends, colleagues, and teammates for all your support. ❤️

It was an absolute pleasure to contribute to the latest edition of Prep School Magazine.

You can read my article here:

https://heyzine.com/flip-book/PSM_Issue_113.html#page/60

My time at Bilton Grange represents some of the happiest years of my life and undoubtedly played a crucial role in shaping both my passion for sport and my formative education.

A very big thank you to the editor, Paul Jackson, for his kind support.

It’s been a busy month!

It was an absolute pleasure to attend the National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society Annual Conference and AGM and have an opportunity to talk to attendees and promote my book, “Hitting AS for Six“.

It was great to hear about all the hard work NASS are doing in their mission to reduce the time to diagnose for the disease.

It was also a privilege to share my own patient story with a variety of healthcare professionals at the PCRMM Primary Care Rheumatology Society conference.

Thank you to both organisations.

A man and woman standing next to a NASS banner at a conference or event.

A digital illustration of the human shoulder anatomy, highlighting muscles, bones, and tendons, overlaid with a semi-transparent view of a person's head and neck. Text indicates an online health presentation scheduled for September 13, 2025, focusing on evidence, experience, and patient voice.

Three men in yellow cricket uniforms standing on a field, smiling, with their arms around each other.

A cricket player in a yellow jersey preparing to bowl on a grass field during a cricket match, with two other players and an umpire visible in the background.

Cricket team in yellow uniforms with coaches standing and sitting on a cricket field under a partly cloudy sky.

Regional Final Victory for XL Forty Club West Midlands

What a day and a fantastic result for the XL Forty Club West Midlands team! It was an honour and privilege to captain the side to victory over Yorkshire and North East in the Regional Final. A superb team effort and a wonderful set of blokes.

Massive thank you to Acorn Printing and Gray-Nicolls for turning the kit around so quickly. The lads looked superb and loved it!

Next up: Wales in the National Final!

As my first season with Warwickshire Seniors comes to an end, it’s a great time to reflect on what has been a fantastic experience—one that has truly renewed my love for the game.

There were some decent scores along the way and a run to the Quarter Finals with the 2nd XI, but more importantly new bonds and friendships were forged. I now have a new opening partner in Giles Clements. Having played against Giles for many years, it’s been brilliant to finally team up, get to know him, and build a new friendship. I was lucky enough to share a 255-run opening partnership with Giles against Staffordshire!

A big shout out to everyone at Warwickshire for all the hard work behind the scenes and for making both Claire and myself feel so welcome.

Looking forward to the new challenges that 2026 will bring. 👌🏻💪🏏❤️

Warwickshire Cricket Foundation weekly batting honours board for week 6, listing players' names, clubs, and batting scores from May 22nd to May 28th, 2025, styled on a wooden plaque with a teal background.

Two men in cricket uniforms standing on a cricket field, smiling, with trees in the background.

Wooden cricket honors board displaying player names, teams, and scores for Week 10, dated June 19th to June 25th, 2025.

It’s amazing to think that it’s been a year since I first met Ian Woosnam and took the photo that would later feature in my book. Ian kindly went on to support the project, and it was fantastic to catch up with him again—this time to get some signed copies and to present him with his own personal copy.

Ian has truly inspired me to never give up on my dreams, and I hope my story can do the same for others.

Two men standing together at a golf event, smiling at the camera with a large leaderboard in the background. One is wearing a blue polo shirt and a black cap, and the other is in a light-colored shirt, navy vest, and a cap. There are other people and a tent visible behind them.

Two men engaged in conversation outdoors on a golf course, with a person lying on the ground in the background, green grass, trees, and a few parked cars visible.

Two men are standing outdoors under a large tree, looking at a document together. They are smiling and appear engaged in conversation. The background shows a grassy area, pathways, parked cars, and flags.

With well over 200 copies now sold, the prize draw has now taken place! Huge congratulations to Neal McGrath from Rugby Cricket Club, who is not only the winner of a free cricket bat but who also has the opportunity to tour around the amazing Gray-Nicolls factory. A huge thank you must go to Richard Gray and the rest of the team at Gray-Nicolls for their very kind support.

Two men shopping for cricket bats in a store. One man, wearing a gray blazer, is holding a cricket bat and looking at it. The other man, in a black hoodie, is also looking at the cricket bat. The store has wooden shelves with various cricket bats and equipment. A large poster above features a man in cricket gear and the phrase 'TEN THOUSAND'.

Brochure titled "Hitting fast for six" featuring a man in cricket gear holding a bat, with the subtitle "Living with axial SpA, an invisible illness". The author's name is Charlie Robards.

Photograph of two men smiling at an outdoor event standing on a sidewalk with a grassy background, while a pamphlet is partially open in the foreground.

Open book showing text on the right page and a cricket bat and ball on grass on the left page.

A man in white cricket attire, wearing a cap and gloves, is batting with a cricket bat, aimed at a cricket ball. A wicketkeeper in white and a red helmet is positioned behind the stumps, ready to catch the ball. The background suggests an outdoor cricket field.

A huge thank you to Tim Mercer at Mercer Books for believing in my work and for helping make this dream come true. You can find more out about the book and Mercer books using the following link -

https://mercerbooks.co.uk/non-fiction/hitting-as-for-six/

Despite the weather we had a fantastic day out at Lord’s Cricket Ground to watch England Ladies secure a win against India.

Hope you enjoyed your birthday present Jo Sharney!

I also got to check on my plaque on the Father Time Wall, a gift from my gorgeous wife Claire.

They don’t call me Champagne Charlie for nothing!

Love this ground and the joy cricket brings to my life.

A man dressed in a cream-colored suit, cream blazer and tie, white shirt, and a Panama hat, smiling and holding an Australian flag, standing next to a blue and yellow memorial board with historical and cricket-related information on a brick wall.

Man in a light beige blazer, striped tie, and hat holding a colorful umbrella, standing in front of a green wall display with Veuve Clicquot branding and champagne bottles, smiling at the camera.

A smiling man and woman standing close together outdoors, holding hands, in front of a flower bed with yellow, white, and red flowers, with a sign that reads 'Lord's' behind them.

Black and white photograph of three male tennis players from 1994, holding tennis rackets and a trophy, standing in front of a brick wall. The caption indicates they are winners of a rugby event, with names C.J.C. Robards, P.J. Rosser, and R.D. Carter.

A group of ten young men standing on a golf course in uniforms, with a large church or historic building in the background.

A man smiling and holding a can of soda on a balcony with outdoor chairs.

A man in a white shirt, beige pants, and brown shoes holding a tennis racket in front of a large chart of women's singles winners at the London Grass Court Championships, while wearing a straw hat with a red band.

If Carlsberg did weeks… 🍻

Another great victory with the Bears 🐻 and a solid partnership with my new opening partner Giles Clements — lucky enough to watch him smash a sensational 💯!

Also had the privilege of playing against the England Over 40’s North side and witnessing another brilliant 💯 from my coach Jason Jakey Jakeman. Top cricket all round.

Fantastic to be back playing with the Meteors after so many years — great to pull on the shirt again.

To top it all off, a nostalgic trip down memory lane back to Queen’s to watch some tennis and show my gorgeous wife where it all began on the rackets courts. Seeing my photo still up on the wall was surreal and humbling. With a chapter in my book on playing at Queen’s — it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Grateful beyond words for all the wonderful opportunities sport has given me — and even more so for the lifelong friendships it’s built along the way. 🙏

Group photo of a cricket team on a field, with players dressed in blue and light blue uniforms, some wearing helmets, gloves, and wielding bats, under a partly cloudy sky with trees and residential houses in the background.

A man wearing a black cap, white sweater, and white cricket gloves stands smiling, holding a cricket bat in front of a light background.

Working with NASS has been an honour and a privilege. I’m extremely grateful for their support in helping to promote my book. A huge thank you to Marcia Waugh for creating a video that highlights some of the key elements behind writing Hitting AS for Six.

Click the link below to watch the full video.

: https://nass.co.uk/news/hitting-as-for-six-a-book-by-charlie-robards/

Screenshot of a webpage from The Cricketer website featuring an article about Charlie Robards and his experience with cricket and his illness. The page includes a video thumbnail with two men, David Sharman and Charlie Robards, participating in a virtual interview.

Big thank you to the Cricketer for sharing my story. It was great to discuss all things cricket and promote the book with David Sharman.

Please find a link below to the interview and to find out more:

https://www.thecricketer.com/Topics/promotional-feature/mcc_players_new_book_cricket_illness_battle.html?t=638826639206430162

Big thank you to Debbie Wilson from Inflammatory Arthritis UK for posting my blog.

Please find a link below to read more:

Charlie Robards – Living with Axial SpA – Inflammatory Arthritis UK

inflammatoryarthritis.org

The books have arrived!!

A big thank you to Tim Mercer at Mercer Books for making this happen. Claire and I have been very busy shipping out the pre-orders.

A wooden table with multiple stacks of copies of the book titled 'Hitting as for Six' by Charlie Robards. The cover features a person in a white sports uniform and red cap playing cricket. There are handwritten notes and what appears to be paper bags on the table.

A man wearing a blue shirt and shorts, standing next to an open car trunk filled with stacks of books titled 'Hitting as for Six,' holding one book and smiling at the camera.

BBC Radio guesting

A big thank you to BBC Coventry and Warwickshire Radio for having me as a guest! It was an honor to chat with Vic Minett on her show and share my story.

Listen to the show

Introduction into Hitting As for Six

Find out why “Hittings As for Six” means so much to me in this short video message.

Three people sitting at a table with drinks, smiling and celebrating, indoors. One man and woman hold glasses of red wine, and the older man also has a glass. The older man holds a sign that says 'Hitting 86 for six' with a baseball illustration.

Dad’s birthday

Sharing Dad’s birthday wine tasting made the perfect moment to give him the first copy of Hitting AS for Six. Thank you, Mum and Dad, for your unwavering support through the years!

House of Commons

Invitation letter for an event honoring Axial SpA winners, hosted by Mark Ferguson MP. The letter includes logos of NASS, NHS, and other sponsors, with details of the event scheduled for April 1, 2025, at the House of Commons.

Two people smiling outdoors near the River Thames in London, with the London Eye, Big Ben, and Westminster Bridge in the background on a clear day.

A smiling man in a black suit and beige tie holding a book titled 'Hitting Six for Six' at an indoor event. The man has a lanyard around his neck and appears to be at a formal gathering with other people in the background.

What an absolute honor and privilege to have been invited by NASS to attend their annual awards ceremony at the House of Commons on April 1st, celebrating their incredible Changemaker Winners! Claire and I had a great time. Had some great conversations and even a few about my book. Thank you so much, NASS!

Getting ready for Summer 2025!

I’ve been training hard through the winter under the watchful eye of my brilliant coach, Jason Jakeman. He assures me that the cold showers and the stiff, sore body afterwards will all be worth it! I’ve included a couple of videos below to show the effort I’ve been putting in. Training regularly and keeping my body moving-while also respecting how it reacts-is crucial for managing my disease.

Summer is around the corner. Practice and Recovery.

It was great to finally get outside for some training with Jason recently. The sunshine makes such a huge difference to how I feel. I’m learning to respect the process—putting in the work during training, and then giving my body the time it needs to recover.

Sports massage, physio, and acupuncture, along with my fortnightly immunosuppressant injection and daily anti-inflammatories, are all part of my routine. I try to swim three to four times a week and make use of the sauna, steam room, and cold showers to support recovery. Lately, I’ve also added high-strength turmeric shots to the mix.